1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to binders and in particular to binders used for holding archival materials such as stamp collections, photographs and other items to be preserved, including recording medium, such as CDs. The binders may be used as storage wallets, both zippered and unzippered, for holding compact discs and CD-ROMs. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing binders and storage wallets. More particularly, this invention relates to a method of manufacturing binders and storage wallets of dissimilar, and typically incompatible, plastic or other material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, binders for holding archival material or storage wallets for holding compact discs and CD-ROMs are made of vinyl, typically polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or cloth. A popular style binder or wallet has pockets or flaps formed on the inside surface of the front and back vinyl covers of the binder or wallet. A set of pages with pockets for storing items is welded to a rigid plastic pseudo-cover to form a booklet. The pseudo-cover is then inserted or slid into the pockets or flaps on the inside of the binder cover to hold the booklet in place.
This style of binder requires fabricating an entire coverless album, wherein all the storage pages are welded together at the spine to form a booklet. Rigid pseudo-covers or panels are adhered to the booklet by welding, gluing, heat sealing, riveting or other means of physically fastening the pseudo-cover to the booklet. The pseudo-covers or panels are then manually inserted or slid into the pockets formed on the inside surface of the front and back covers of the binder.
The disadvantages of this style of binder include the large amount and variety of materials needed, the labor intensive assembly step of inserting the booklet into the pockets of the cover, the high stress on the pocket formed in the covers, and the bulkiness of the binder. Typically, as the booklet is not permanently secured in the cover pockets, the booklet may easily be removed from or can fall from the binder or wallet during handling.
Quality and expense are also concerns in the manufacture of binders. Polypropylene pages are preferred for archival purposes. Whereas vinyl pages stick to CDs or other stored materials, and can react with ink, polypropylene pages are archival and will not stick to discs, react with ink, cold crack, or ripple or yellow with age.
While polypropylene pages are preferred in albums, vinyl covers are desirable as they can be textured to resemble leather and are easy to decorate and imprint. The problem is that polypropylene pages cannot be fastened or welded to a vinyl cover, as these materials are dissimilar. Typically, polypropylene pages are heat sealed to rigid polypropylene pseudo-covers in a manner similar to the way commonly used vinyl pages are attached to rigid vinyl covers.
Attempts have been made to deal with these problems, as shown in prior U.S. patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,713 to Leinbach discloses a microfiche folder for use in a loose-leaf ring binder comprising sheets of flexible, transparent material joined together to form a page having a plurality of pockets for holding microfiche, index cards, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,762 to Holson discloses a method of forming a photographic album page having double sided pockets formed by ultrasonic sealing of overlying clear laminae together through the centrally disposed fibrous lamina which disintegrates under the heat of sealing. A non-continuous electronic stitch is used to avoid completely severing the fibrous lamina at the lines of stitching.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,263,357 to Holson discloses a photographic album page having double sided pockets formed by ultrasonic sealing of overlying clear laminae together through the centrally disposed fibrous lamina which disintegrates under the heat of sealing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,987 to Temple discloses a container for CDs formed of three layers of polypropylene heat sealed together in a line-type heat seal pattern. The middle layer comprises a soft, opaque, spun-bonded polypropylene laminated to a 4 millimeter thick polypropylene backing member. One pocket holds a CD; another top, thin pocket holds a CD title bar. A third pocket formed between the second layer and back layer hold a CD package inset, or card.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,731 to Youngs discloses a plastic storage sleeve for CDs comprising a plastic cover having a pocket for a CD and another pocket for an information insert. The storage sleeve is used to store discs singly or in multiples. Graphics are stored in contact with the backing sheet which is joined by heat lamination to the nonwoven fabric. Flaps shield the surface of the CD from dust, scratches and lint.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,160 to Youngs discloses a storage container for storing a CD comprising a first flexible sheet; a nonwoven fabric sheet overlaying the first flexible sheet; a second flexible sheet overlaying the nonwoven fabric sheet and joined to the first flexible sheet to define a CD storage area, the second sheet having a cut to define a flap portion which hinges along a hinge line, the cut terminating at two ends and having arcuate regions adjacent to the ends to protect the flap portion from tearing.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,326 to Shuhsiang discloses a laser record protection folder comprising an outer cover with a loose-leaf fastener to hold several bag elements. One side of the bag element has two dividing lines and a slot to form two opening flaps to ease insertion of the record. A projected center flap prevents the record from slipping out.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,491 to Pettey discloses a compact disc folder in the form of a booklet held between two opposing panels of a cover portion. The pages of the booklet are attached to the cover portion by saddle stitching, stapling or gluing.
U.S. Pat. No. D304,781 to Hanson discloses a design for a compact disc holder comprising a cover for holding a booklet with pockets for storing CDs. The booklet has a backing which slides into flaps on the inside of the cover for holding the booklet in place.
U.S. Pat. No. D360,800 to Temple et al. discloses a design for a multi-leaf holder for compact discs, the pockets for storing CDs secured to the cover by a hinge-type screw binding.
U.S. Pat. No. D367,796 to Ozeki discloses a design for a recording medium storing case having a plurality of discs stored on one page. The pages are mechanically, releasably secured to the cover.
U.S. Pat. No. D379,896 to Friedman discloses a design for CD disk holder. It is unclear how the spine of the binder is constructed or how the CD is held in place.
Accordingly, there is a need for a binder having a vinyl cover with booklet pages of polypropylene.